Midnight Love
by IceByrd67
Summary: Jaguar brings another set of girls into his Midnight. What happens when he falls in love with one, and what happened to Audra? PG13 for language, violence, and adult situations
1. Chapter 1

Title: Midnight Love

Author: Icebyrd67

Type: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes Fiction

Book: Midnight Predator

Rating: Pg-13

Disclaimer:  All rights belong to Amelia-Atwater-Rhodes.  I'm just borrowing her world and characters.  Unknown characters are mine.

Chapter One

You're a Kennan.  You should be proud of that, Danica.  Don't let anyone take that away from you.  As long as you embrace who you are, you will never be alone.  Remember that, Dani.  My little girl.  You are Kennan.

Danica brushed her tears away.  She could still hear her mother's voice in her ears, even though it's been a good three years since she had been ripped violently from life.  Danica remember vividly all the events that night.  

Her mother had only just dropped her off for a dance recital.  Helen Kennan-Sheldon had promised she would be back in time to watch her only child dance in the ballet.  She only had to go to the store to pick up a few items.  Dani remembered how she had been so anxious to dance for her mother.  Only a year before, at fifteen, did Dani tear half the muscles in her left leg in a horrible accident.  She was finally able again and had trained so hard to be in that year's recital.  She was just so excited!

But the curtains opened, and Helen was nowhere to be seen.  Dani remember just how mad she was at her mom for not being there for her.  So mad that she wasn't there to see her dance.  She remembered dancing perfectly and beautifully, and yet her form was still wrong, because she had so much anger.  

Then after, Dani remembered standing in the cold, waiting for Helen to come pick her up, only to have a police officer come.  Danica could remember his exact words.  "We need you to come to the station and identify the body of your mother."

There was nothing after that.  No warning of what had happened.  Just a 'come and identify'.  He hadn't even bothered to be nice about it.  According to him, this was just another of the dozens of murders that the slums of New York received every week.

Danica shoved herself off the wall she had been leaning on.  Ever since that day, she had vowed she would find her mother's murderers and exact revenge.  If only she knew who it was.

Danica lived with her Grandmother Kennan now, having no father and no other close family.  Her mother had always been careful on who she would allow close to their family.  Dani only barely remembered the aunts and cousins and uncles she had.  Then she was thrown in among then, trying to understand their strange ways and practices.

Dani had always known there was something special about her mother, but she had never suspected that Helen Kennan-Sheldon had been a witch.  Nor had she suspected her mother's entire side of the family was witches and shape-shifters.  And she had definitely not thought she were a witch or a shape-shifter.  

It was when she was orphaned did Danica learn the true meaning of her mother's babbles.  The Kennan family was a powerful one in the witching world.  They had influences everywhere, and were hated by a good many vampires and creatures of the night.  It was a vampire that had so cruelly taken Helen from her child.

Dani wrapped her jacket closer around her body as she walked across the Quad of her school.  She was tired, after a night of training in one of the Kennan training gyms.  She only wanted to get home, to sink into her bed in front of the TV and sleep away her nightmares.  She wasn't expecting to be attacked in any case.

Dani knew there was a vampire behind her, but she really hadn't cared.  There were vampires all over the college campus.  As long as they didn't kill anyone or torture anyone, she really didn't mind them.  But when a group of vampires suddenly appeared, Danica allowed a trickle of fear to enter her body, stimulating her adrenaline.

One of the creatures lunged at her with fangs bared.  Danica reached out and kicked it hard with a heel kick.  She heard the crunch of bones and it's muffled cry of pain.  She had only just turned to deliver a kick to one of its friends, when she heard the snap of a whip.  She had no reaction time as she slid into the blackened darkness that awaited her.


	2. chapter 2

Title: Midnight Love

Author: Icebyrd67

Type: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes Fiction

Book: Midnight Predator

Rating: Pg-13

Disclaimer:  All rights belong to Amelia-Atwater-Rhodes.  I'm just borrowing her world and characters.  Unknown characters are mine.

Chapter Two

She groaned, reaching up to grab the back of her head as she did so.  Danica jerked into full awareness when she heard the clank of chains.  She glanced down at her wrists and cursed.

Why couldn't they have just killed her? She thought, as she examined the shackles.  With the right tools, they shouldn't be too hard to get out of, she decided.

A groan to the left of her caused Dani to shift her attention to the rest of the darkened van.  Dani blinked a couple of times to better adjust her eyes to the shadows.  She could make out two people, coming into consciousness to her left and one to her right.

"Are you guys alright?" She called to them.

"I'm fine."  The girl to her right whispered in a cracked voice.

"Me too.  Amy's just now coming to.  I think she's fine.  She's not bleeding or anything." One of the girls on Dani's left answered.  "Where are we?"

"I think we're in a van.  We're moving at least.  Are you girls chained to the walls, too?" Dani asked.

"No.  We're chained, but not to the wall." Amy's friend answered.

"I'm not either."  The vehicle passed through a wall of pure magic, causing Dani to shudder involuntarily.  The hair on the back of her neck rose as did her shields.

"Then I guess I'm the only one.  Does anyone have a paperclip or something?  And a bobby pin?  Because I can pick locks."  Dani carefully broke down the shields she had thrown up only to reconstruct them the way grandmother Kennan had taught her.  Make the walls solid, layer by layer, like you would with bricks.  Make the walls solid so nothing can break them down.

"I've got a bobby pin." Amy finally became coherent enough to be of help.  "Lena, you sold a bunch of paperclips from the library earlier.  Get them out."  The girls crawled over to where Dani sat, chained to the sides.

"Here." Lena handed her the small items.  Dani accepted them gratefully and unbent the items.  She slipped them both into the keyhole of her right shackle and let herself fall into the actual lock.

"Crap!" she cursed when the vehicle suddenly screeched to a stop.  Danica quickly slipped the paperclip and the bobby pin into her pocket, praying that they wouldn't fall out.  

The doors of the van flew open to reveal six vampires, each armed with daggers and whips.  Two of them handed their weapons to one of the others and jumped into the van.  Dani resisted the urge to reach out and kick them.  If she did, it would guarantee that the other girls would get hurt.

The two vampires undid the chains that held Danica to the walls.  And shoved her out of the van.  They moved her several yards from the van before stopping to wait for the others.  When the other girls were out of the van, they marched them forward, towards the building.  When Danica resisted, one of the vampires unleashed his whip at her, catching her by the wrist, cutting a thin ring of blood around it.  The other girls screamed as Dani quickly followed at the risk of making the vampires madder.

Fury boiled inside Dani as she was forced down a marble walk, through several pairs of imposing doors and finally, into a darkened office.

"Jaguar." The vampire who had used the whip on her stepped forward.  Clearly, he was the leader.  The vampire glanced up from his desk.  Dani glared at the vampire, Jaguar.  

He was beautiful.  She had to admit that.  He wore his black hair long and straight, loose over his deep, golden tan.  He lived up to his name, with his various muscles well defined and well kept gleaming on his unclothed chest.  He did indeed look very much like a jaguar.  His eyes were blank black endless holes.  He caught Danica's eyes with his and she suddenly felt naked.  Exposed, and completely unprotected.  She couldn't take her eyes from him.  He blinked, relinquishing his hold on her.

"Are these the girls you called me about, Kestral?"  The expression on his face was carefully blank.  Kestral nodded.  

"They're completely unbroken.  I only acquired them in the last few days.  They're all harmless, except for this one." He shoved Dani to her knees.  "They're smart enough to do as they're told, though.  If not, there'll be hell to pay."  

Jaguar didn't answer, but began to circle the girls, examining them carefully.  He stopped behind Dani.  He ran a finger down the small of her back as she fought the sudden urge to hurl.

"Why is she dangerous?"  He asked, absently making circles and shapes with his trailing fingers.

"She's a witch.  And a shape-shifter."  Jaguar's eyes jumped to surprise.

"Witches and shape-shifters are born free." He murmured, taking his hand away from her.

"I know.  This one was sold." Kestral laughed.

"By?" Jaguar raised an eyebrow in question.

"Her father."  Dani snarled at the mention of the man who had never been in her life.

"I have no father." She hissed.  Kestral reached up and backhanded her without thought.  Dani staggered backwards into Jaguar, who caught her.

"I'll thank you not to hit my things." Jaguar said in a quiet, threatening tone.  "How much for them all?"

"Twenty for each of the humans, fifty for the witch." Kestral answered.

"Done." Jaguar reached into his desk and removed a checkbook and quickly scribbled the check.  "Now get out."  The other vampires quickly scrambled to heed his orders.  Only Kestral stuck around for a few moments.

"What are you going to do with them?" He asked with semi-curiousness.

"I thought I told you to get out, Kestral." Jaguar returned his attention to the girls before him.  Kestral bowed, mockingly before disappearing.


	3. chapter 3

Title: Midnight Love

Author: Icebyrd67

Type: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes Fiction

Book: Midnight Predator

Rating: Pg-13

Disclaimer:  All rights belong to Amelia-Atwater-Rhodes.  I'm just borrowing her world and characters.  Unknown characters are mine.

Chapter Three

Jaguar reached over and effortlessly pulled the shackles from each of the girls' arms.  Their legs had been freed earlier.  The girls whimpered in fright, cowering behind Dani, who stood tall.

Jaguar walked around the group in another silent inspection.  Dani kept her 'master' in sight for as long as possible without turning her head.  Finally, he paused in front of them.

"Names?" he seemed satisfied with them.

"Amy."

"Lena."

"Jazmyna"

"Danica Kennan." Dani stared straight into his eyes, egging him to do something about it.  Jaguar chuckled.

"I only have a few rules here.  As long as you finish your work, you can go anywhere in the building.  But I strongly suggest you stay away from the west wing unless you plan on blood letting.  Outside of that, a locked door means you aren't welcomed.  I enjoy intelligent conversation.  If you annoy me, I'll just tell you to shut up.  Around others of my kind, hold your tongue, kneel, and address them as 'milady' or 'milord'.  I don't like all of that, so Jaguar is just fine.  Just follow orders and stay out of trouble.  Understand?"

"Yes, sir." The girls chorused.  Dani only continued to stare.

"Eric will find you all something to do."  Jaguar gestured to the boy in the corner.  He couldn't have been much younger than the girls.  Probably sixteen from what Dani could tell.  "Dismissed.  All of you.  Except for Danica."  Eric bowed and led the three human girls from the room.

"Be careful." Danica called after the girls.  Amy and Lena both looked back at her with a scared smile.

"You too." Jazmyna answered, giving her a shaky thumbs up.

"Don't touch me." Danica hissed when Jaguar came up behind her.  He only chuckled and backed away.

"Have a seat." He gestured to the open chairs in front of his desk.  She glared at him before sinking into one of the leather armchairs.  "You don't like me." He stated without a questioning tone.  He was quite amused by her.

"You've noticed?" Her voice dripped with hatred.  He laughed again.

"You remind me of Audra."  She glanced at him but said nothing more.  "What did you do to get yourself in this situation?"

"You tell me, you jackass.  You're the ass-fuck who bought me."  She snarled.  He just grinned.

"Exactly like Audra in her moods."  Jaguar stood and walked to the door, opposite of the one she had entered earlier.  "Come on.  I want to show you something.  I think you'd like it."  She glared at his back as he left the room.  Are you coming, Danica?

Dani snarled, baring her teeth, but she stood and followed out the door, struggling to remove his voice from her head.

Jaguar led her through a small maze of halls before stopping at one with powerful magical elements.  Dani sucked her breath, feeling the magic radiate from the room behind the door.  Jaguar glanced at her before sliding a key from his pocket into the lock.

Dani gasped as the true, unhidden magical elements slid in and out of her effortlessly.  The room was filled with books beyond books of the most magical background.  Crystals, herbs, the essentials of all the spells and potions were scattered around the room.

"You like it, then?" Jaguar asked, grinning at the expression on her face.  Dani turned to face him, completely forgetting who he was and what had just happened.  It was like an early Christmas for her.

"It's wonderful!" she ran to give him a hug.  Jaguar took her into a warm embrace and placed his lips carefully on her lips.  His kiss grew passionate, demanding, and yet gentle before Dani could react.  She opened herself to his kiss and then suddenly remembered who he was.  She shoved him away.  "Don't touch me." She hissed.

"Dani..." He grabbed her wrist.  She twisted her arm and slid from his grasp.

"I said not to touch me."  Her voice was precariously close to breaking.  Jaguar looked at her for a moment before inclining his head.

"Alright." He stepped away from her.  She turned her back to him, even though all the training she had warned her from this.  She heard him moving towards the table by the wall and heard the clink of something.  "I'll just leave you here.  You're welcome here at anytime.  But I have to warn you the only way here is through my office.  If you can't find it, just ask Eric or the guards."

Dani took a deep breath and listened to the sounds of his retreating steps.  She couldn't quite figure out what had happened.  She never let her guard down around a bloodsucker but today she did.  Dani curse and punched the wall, hearing the crack of her hand, breaking.  She swore again.

"I'll take you to the infirmary." Eric walked into the room.  "Jaguar told me to look after you."

"I don't need to be looked after."  Dani snapped, rummaging through a basket of crystals and rocks with her unhurt hand.  She pulled out a large piece of rose quartz and held it in her broken hand.  Concentrating, she pulled the magical healing powers for the fully charged stone into her hand.  She could hear the bones snapping back into place.  She sighed at the final pop of relief.

"That sounded horrible." Eric commented.  "And you shouldn't hate Jaguar so much.  You could have been sold to much worse.  Jashickah, for instance.  If she were still alive, that is.  Or Gabriel could have taken you.  He has this thing for women willing to kill him.  He actually owns the leader of the Crimson Bruja."

"I don't care."

"Or Kestral could have kept you for himself.  I'm just saying, there's worse than Jaguar.  As long as you're his, he'll take care of you.  Keep you clean and warm and fed.  And he won't bleed you against your will."

"It doesn't mean he isn't a leech.  What makes you think he won't just kill you one day when he gets pissed?"

"He hasn't yet.  I've been with him since I was eleven.  I'm eighteen now.  I have never seen him kill.  Not even when Audra left him.  That did not please him at all.  Especially when he found out she left him for her old life, before she was taken into the slave world.  He moped and brooded and was furious and even killed a few vampires dumb enough to bother him, but has never killed a human since I've been with him."

"Good for him, but it doesn't mean he hasn't killed before."

"You made him happy today.  I know you let him into your mind.  I saw that look on his face.  He was happy.  Truly happy."

"He hasn't been in my mind." Dani snapped, glaring at Eric.  The boy just smiled and opened the door for her.

"I know you're hungry.  Come on.  I'll show you around."  

Eric showed her the floors and about the rest of the rooms, telling her where and where not to go.  Who and who not to bother.  He made sure she knew the ropes.

"Jaguar asked me to put you in the Amethyst Room.  He said it would bring out your violet eyes.  And it's close to the magic room.  That room's not named, if you want to name it."

"I'll think about it."

"Good.  Because that's where you'll be spending most of your time, from what I can tell.  Jaguar gives you no chores or work.  He only wants you to enjoy yourself and study the magic books.  And he wants you to join him for the sunrise meal."

"Tell him to eat himself.  I'm not letting him bleed me."

"He wasn't.  He actually wanted to make you dinner.  He sent me to town for marinara sauce and cheese, so I'm assuming its gonna be Italian."

"Fine.  Whatever.  If he touches me, I'll knife him."  Eric only smiled.  

"This is the Amethyst Room.  It's not that brilliantly decorated like the other rooms for guests, but I think you'll like it."  She walked into the room with no real expectations, and was met with complete and total beauty.

The room lived up to its name, using the color purple as its main theme.  All the furniture was of a deep mahogany red; so deep it was close to purple.  On the wall facing the door, Bookcases were built in, covering the entire span, all of which were filled to capacity of books of all nature.  The bookcases stood about six feet high, over which there was a half-floor.  Stairs leading to the area over the bookcases were located to the right of all the books.  The area above the cases, however, was large than the depth of the cases.  On that floor were large glass doors, which lead into a beautiful balcony overlooking the courtyard that no one was allowed in.  On the floor was also a nice area for her to take her tea, should she be interested.  On the main floor, in the center of the room, stood a large canopy bed, with gauzy purples and lavenders as the curtains.  Across from the foot of the bed, was a large fireplace with a desk to the left and a couch and armchair to the right.  A door to the left of the head of the bed led into a large closet, filled with clothing that Danica found were all to her size.  The closet was behind the bookcases and accounted for the expansive half-floor.  To the left of the bed, the door led into a big bathroom, complete with a sunken bathtub, so deep that there was a step on the inside.

"I take it you like the room?" Eric asked, watching her wide-eyes.

"Yes.  And you say it isn't that lavish?  What do the other rooms look like?"

"Bigger, with things that vampires like."  Eric didn't offer to expand his explanation.  Danica nodded.

"Where are the other girls?  The ones I came with?"

"In the room next to Katie.  She'll take care of them.  If you want, you can always visit them."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four  
  
"I'm glad you decide to join me for dinner." Jaguar smiled at Danica when she entered the room.  
  
"Eric told me you cooked. I didn't want to disappoint my master." She cocked her head to the side, trying to read the expression on Jaguar's face. She couldn't tell if it was amusement or annoyance.  
  
"You didn't take this from the magic room." He walked over to her side of the table and pulled the chair out for her. She sat gracefully. He reached around her and dangled a silver key from a delicate chain. "You need it to get in. I keep unwanted people away from there."  
  
Danica flinched when he brushed her hair from her neck and leaned down to secure the chain around her neck. He pressed his lips lightly to her throat. I won't bite you, Dani. Not unless you want me too.  
  
Danica took a deep breath and formed her thoughts carefully. Please don't. I came for dinner. Not to be dinner. To her relief, Jaguar just laughed as he returned to his chair, opposite of her.  
  
"I like that about you. You speak your mind." He gestured for Eric to bring out the plates of food. Eric gave Danica a smile as he set the plate of lasagna down in front of her. "You can go, Eric. And you're welcome to some of the lasagna in the kitchen."  
  
"Is that why you like me? Because I speak my mind? Because I'm too strong to be broken? Or is it because I remind you of Audra?" Jaguar shot her an amused glance. I could break you in an instant, Danica. Don't forget who I am. And don't forget what I am.  
  
"You're avoiding my question." Danica glared at him. "And stay out of my mind. It's not open to you."  
  
"But it is." Jaguar looked at her while he ate. "You opened your mind to me the moment you stepped into my office and you know it. And yes, you remind me of Audra. She had the same strong will you have. And the same stupidity when it came to asking questions. She was blunt with me."  
  
"So you like me because I'm your Audra?" Jaguar sighed.  
  
"Just finish eating, Danica. Stop asking me questions." Dani didn't answer, but only reached for her wine glass.  
  
"One more?" Danica looked at Jaguar from under her long, black lashes. He sighed again.  
  
"Go ahead. It's not like I can stop you."  
  
"The room. The clothes. The books. All my size, all my tastes, all my favorites. Did you know I was coming?" Jaguar played with his food for a few seconds while Danica waited in silence.  
  
"Yes." He finally answered, catching her eyes. She closed her eyes and glanced down at her plate.  
  
"How long had you know?"  
  
"Long enough for me to find you, slip into your mind, find out what you currently liked and didn't liked."  
  
"Is that why I was so comfortable with you in my mind? Because you've been there before?"  
  
"Yes." Jaguar sighed for a third time. "I didn't want to invade your privacy, but you intrigued me. I knew your father was going to sell you off. He had you on the lists from the time you were born. I wanted to warn you, but I couldn't. How would you have felt if I walked up to you and told you that your father was going to sell you?"  
  
"I don't know." Danica answered truthfully.  
  
"So I did the only thing I could think of. I bought you. To keep you safe. I paid for you when you were twelve. I only had to wait until you were old enough to take. I had to wait. I wanted to wait longer, but Kestral got impatient. He wouldn't wait any longer. When you were sixteen, he wanted to take you then. But when I found out what he had done, I wouldn't let him." Tears flowed down Dani's face as she realized the truth.  
  
"Kestral. He killed my mother? Because my father sold me into slavery?" Jaguar nodded, coming to her side. She stood and allowed him to take her into his arms.  
  
"I'm sorry, Danica. If I had known he was going to do that, I would have stopped him. But I had to buy you. If I didn't, one of the others would have. And they would have broken you. I couldn't let them break and tame you. Not my wild cat."  
  
"Why? Why did I catch your eyes in the first place?"  
  
"You reminded me of someone I knew. His father sold him into slavery too, even though he was a shape-shifter. I knew how it felt. So I didn't want you to have to endure it. It made Audra so mad that I was so busy trying to keep you safe. She hated it."  
  
"I-can I just go to bed? Please?" Danica bit back all her tears, not wanting to lose face in front of the vampire.  
  
"I'll walk you." Jaguar took her hand and led her from the dining room. They walked in silence, broken only by the little sobs coming from Dani. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked when they stopped outside the Amethyst Room. She nodded her head in answer.  
  
Jaguar pulled Danica close for a hug and kissed her softly on the top of her head. Good night, Sweet Danica. I'm sorry for all of this.  
  
Dani didn't answer him, but only tilted her head up to kiss him on the lips before disappearing into her room. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five  
  
"Be strong, Danica! Be strong! You are Kennan! Don't you ever forget that! Now get your arms up and block him! Now! Danica, listen to me. Get you're arms up and block! If he were truly a vampire, he would have snapped your neck by now. Now block! Get your shields up! Danica, listen to me!" Danica struggled to obey her grandmother, but she just couldn't. She wanted to, she really did! But Danica just couldn't figure out how to block both the mind and physical attacks at the same time. She just wasn't capable.  
  
"I can't, Grandmother! I can't!" Danica sobbed as her assailant continued to kick and punch her. Danica cried out in pain when she felt the bite of the knife slashing her arm open. "Stop! Make it stop!"  
  
"How are you going to protect yourself, Danica? How will you protect yourself and revenge your mother's death? Are you not a Kennan? Of course you're not." Grandmother spat on the ground, next to Danica's head. "You're worthless."  
  
Danica jerked awake, dripping in cold sweat. Gasping for air, she shoved away her covers and stumbled from the bed.  
  
"I'm not! I'm not worthless!" She cried, covering her eyes with her hands as she collapsed to the floor. You okay?  
  
Jaguar's concerned voice floated into her mind. Danica jolted back into the present world and realized where she was. She nodded, and then realized that he couldn't see her. I'm fine. Bad memories.  
  
Danica felt him offering sympathy. She sighed, and allowed herself to open most of her mind to him. You sure?  
  
Danica smiled, knowing his concern was sincere. Yeah.  
  
She carefully put her shields back up before wandering into her bathroom. She splashed herself with cold water, trying to shake the memories from her mind. She changed into a pair of black jeans and a tank top and walked up to her balcony.  
  
She stood, leaning against the stone railing and stared down into the darkness that was the courtyard. She had the only room that had a balcony over it. She could make out the outlines over a small pool and the most beautiful, or at least she thought, foliage she'd ever seen.  
  
She looked at it for a while, enjoying its beauty before she slipped back inside to visit the Magic Room, which turned out to be a pretty good name for the place. She walked carefully, taking the directions that Eric had given her the night before. She gasped as the raven in front of the western wing suddenly shifted into human form.  
  
"You have business here?" The girl asked.  
  
"I've got permission to go to the Magic Room." Danica held up the key Jaguar had given her.  
  
"The what?" The raven asked, one brow rose in question.  
  
"It's alright. She has permission to be here." Jaguar stood at the door the raven had been guarding. "This is Danica, Gliss. She's gonna be coming by a lot. She's my new witch." Danica glared at Jaguar.  
  
"I've already told you I'm not yours. Stop calling me that." Jaguar laughed, taking her into his arms.  
  
"Behave or I might have a snack." He joked, kissing her throat softly. To Gliss, he said, "Treat her like you did Audra. Only better. Come on, Dani. I've just acquired a new book I thought might interest you." Danica elbowed him in the stomach.  
  
"I'm not your Audra and I'm not your pet witch, so stop treating me like it." Jaguar grinned.  
  
"She's feisty." He said to no one in particular as he followed her through his office to the Magic Room. "Here." He dropped a heavy volume onto the table where Danica had just placed herself and several books. Danica didn't bother to glance up at the book.  
  
"It's the original Book of Shadows belonging to Esperanza." Jaguar looked at her, impressed. Danica continued to flip through the book on her lap. "Esperanza was the first Kennan. I can sense all Kennan magic at a couple of miles radius." She looked up at him and grinned. "And I can see it through your eyes."  
  
"You little cheat!" Jaguar laughed, wrapping his arms around her.  
  
"Don't leave your mind open to me, Jaguar. I'm just as skilled as you are in reading them. I've had a bit of practice. And don't forget that I'm a Kennan witch."  
  
"I won't."  
  
"Good." Danica brushed a bit of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, exposing her neck. She felt Jaguar gasp in his mind. She tilted her head to the side a little more and caught his eyes. He was hungry. She knew it.  
  
"No." He whispered, although he hadn't released her. She didn't answer but relaxed into his arms, leaving her throat open. He took a deep breath and let his lips fall to her throat, not bothering to catch her mind.  
  
He let her go after a moment, holding her too make sure she could stand. She hadn't taking much, but it was enough to leave her lightheaded.  
  
"Thank you." He whispered, feeling the power of her magic fill his veins. Danica only nodded before returning to her books. Jaguar stayed and watched her for about an hour before announcing that he had business to take care of and would be back later.  
  
Danica filled the long hours of the night studying the books he had left at her disposal. She learned a few new spells and practiced them for hours until she was sure she could use them if she ever needed to.  
  
Dani glanced at the clock and sighed. It was nearly sunrise. She wanted to see it before she headed off to bed. Then she realized she had taken the vampiric days, and had turned completely nocturnal. She sat to think, trying to figure out exactly when this had happened.  
  
Then she remembered that it was probably when she was kidnapped. She had bee unconscious for hours, and woke up during the night. And gone to sleep when the sun came up. It wasn't a bad way to live. She was more comfortable in the night, anyway.  
  
Dani left the room, carefully opening her mind to Jaguar, looking for him. I can't come to you right now, love. I'm busy, but if you want, I can come by your room later.  
  
Dani smiled. It was funny how Jaguar knew exactly what she wanted. Please. She answered before slipping off to the kitchens to catch a meal. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six  
  
Danica was raiding the refrigerator when he came in. She faltered, her mind spinning. She turned around very carefully.  
  
"So the Jaguar let you have free rein, did he?" Kestral voice was dangerous. Danica took a deep breath and let her gaze fall to the floor.  
  
"Milord." She said quietly, afraid to anger him.  
  
"Imagine my surprise when I found out that Jaguar had finally decided that he wanted you. After years and years of waiting to take you, he finally decided. If he had only waited two more weeks, his contract on you would have ended and you would have been mine, Danica." Kestral reached out and backhanded her hard.  
  
"I-"  
  
"You what? You're sorry? No you aren't. I'm leaving, Danica." He grabbed her arm. Danica instantly pulled a spell from the back of her mind and whispered it.  
  
"Irral n'hast de. Firel." Kestral yelped as her arm suddenly became too hot to touch. He snarled and backhanded her again. She fell back a few steps. This time, when he grabbed her, fear overtook her body and she couldn't remember a single spell or a single fighting move.  
  
"I've leaving, Danica and you're coming with me."  
  
"Don't you think you should discuss that with me first?" Jaguar's voice came from the doorway. It was calm, dangerously so, almost a purr, but still laced with threat. Kestral cursed softly and turned to face Jaguar without letting go of Dani.  
  
"I'll pay you double her cost." He said quietly.  
  
"She's not for sale to you."  
  
"Just to me?"  
  
"To anyone. I happen to be fond of her." Danica wrenched her arm from Kestral's grip and stepped backwards.  
  
"Fond of her?" Kestral whispered, his eyes narrowing. "Does the jaguar think you're his? You're mine!" He slapped her hard enough to knock the wind from her and slam her into the wall.  
  
Danica winced when she heard the crack of a whip. She was so sure it was for her, but she never felt the stinging cut of the leather. She glanced up to see that Jaguar's whip was wrapped tightly around Kestral's throat, a thin line of blood trickled from under.  
  
"You have no right." Kestral hissed.  
  
"It's called right of ownership. Even you understand that. I bought her. She is my property." Jaguar's every word dripped with coldness, as if he was speaking of only a pet.  
  
"Fine." Kestral snarled. Jaguar glared at him and then released him. Kestral stalked from the room.  
  
Jaguar knelt beside Danica and reached for her arm. She flinched.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, not touching her as he didn't want to cause further damage.  
  
"I'm fine." She snarled.  
  
"Dani-"  
  
"What do you care?" Danica hissed as she pushed herself up from the floor. "I'm only property." She slammed her shields up and limped from the room.  
  
She went up to her room and gasped in pain as she tried to pull off her binding shirt. Her ribs were bruised badly, maybe even broken. She right eye was swollen almost shut. And she was still having trouble breathing.  
  
"Go away." She snapped when a soft knock came at her door. The door slid open anyway as Jazmyna, Amy, and Lena all came into the room.  
  
"Are you okay? We heard what happened from Eric." Jazmyna came over, carrying ice for Dani's bruises. Amy was carrying water and a few aspirins. Lena carried a small basket of crystals all powered to heal.  
  
"I'm fine." Dani hissed in pain when Jazmyna pressed the ice to her eye.  
  
"Fine, my ass." Amy said, handing her the painkillers, which Dani took, graciously.  
  
"Eric told us you were a witch. And well, Jaguar wanted us to bring you these. He said you would know what to do with them." Lena placed the crystals next to Dani.  
  
"I don't want them. I don't want anything to do with that man." Dani took a piece of rose quartz from the basket anyway. She could feel her ribs pop in relief as the power from the quartz entered her body. She gasped as it healed broken ribs.  
  
"Wow. You really are a witch." Jazmyna watched her in astonishment.  
  
"Yeah. Goddess, I need a good soak." Danica winced when she accidentally stretched the muscles in her ribcage. Lena nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. "Ugh, help me up." Danica stumbled into her closet and found a clean pair of jeans and a shirt.  
  
"You're not that bad off, are you?" Amy said, bitterly. Danica only glanced at her.  
  
"What do you expect? I'm his pet witch, remember?" She said in an equally bitter tone. The girls helped her into the bath and went to wait for her in her bedroom.  
  
Danica heard the door open and heard Jaguar's quiet voice order the girls to leave. You aren't welcome here, Jaguar.  
  
"I don't care." He answered, walking into her bathroom and sat down on the edge of her tub.  
  
"I don't want to talk to you."  
  
"Then just listen. I'm sorry I called you property. You are so much more to me. You're my Danica. My wild cat. But in the eyes of my kind, you ARE property. I know that sounds bad, but that's the truth. And I'm sorry that Kestral hit you so badly. If I had know, I would have thrown him out before he ever had the chance." Jaguar sighed when he saw that nothing he said had affected Danica. "I'm sorry, Dani. I really am. I hope you'll forgive me."  
  
"Tell me the truth. Why am I so important to you?" Danica said after a moment of silence.  
  
"Because I spent years just watching you. I know you and I know who you are. And I fell in love with the girl I got to know." Jaguar answered, opening his mind to her so that she could see he spoke the truth.  
  
"Why did Audra leave you? If she was so important to you?"  
  
"Why wouldn't she? I became so caught up in preparing Midnight for your arrival; I completely forgot she was here half the time. And she got tired of that so when did the only thing she could think of. She went back to her life before she got caught up in all of this. The last time I heard from her, she was married to this human she dated in high school."  
  
"Do you miss her?"  
  
"No. Not really. After she left, I kept telling myself it didn't matter. You were coming soon and it really didn't matter to me. I was in love with you, not her."  
  
"Oh." Danica nodded her head. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven  
  
Danica stood from the bath as Jaguar watched her. You really love me, Jaguar? She asked, a question in her eyes.  
  
"More than anything." Danica nodded her head and took his hand, leading him from the bathroom and into her room. At the door she let go of his hand and disappeared among the yards and yards of gauzy purples. "What are you doing?" He asked in confusion.  
  
She sighed mentally. Are you coming? She demanded, showing him flashes of what she intended to do to him once he was in bed. Jaguar grinned and quickly dove onto the bed. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight  
  
Danica woke, lying with her head on Jaguar's chest. She sighed after a moment, knowing she wouldn't hear the reassuring beat of his heart. He was on his back, and she was snuggled against his side, one of his arms draped casually around her waist.  
  
"Evening." Jaguar raised himself onto his elbows and placed a kiss on her forehead. She sighed and pressed herself closer to him. "I like this." Then he grinned, as she flitted pictures of the events that had taken place into his mind in answer. "I liked that too."  
  
Danica smiled. I love you. She whispered in his mind.  
  
"I love you too." He answered, kissing her fingers. "Um..." He grunted, sitting up. "Hungry." He said when she gave him a look.  
  
She tilted her head to the side. Don't leave. He smiled at her.  
  
"I'm gonna end up drinking you dry, at the rate we're going." Danica shrugged. I like the way you feel. Please don't leave. Jaguar nodded and pressed his lips to her throat.  
  
"I need a shower." Danica said, sitting up after another round in bed.  
  
"Can I come?" Jaguar asked, watching her slide out of bed.  
  
"No. You'll only distract me and then we'll be in there for another hour and I won't have a chance to go study. Besides, don't you have some work to do?" Jaguar made a face at her.  
  
"Yes." He stood and looked for his pants. "Will you come work with me? Get some books and come down to the courtyard? There's someone I want you to meet."  
  
"Yeah. I'll be there after I shower." She called from the bathroom.  
  
When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Eric by her door.  
  
"Boo." She called to him, bringing him to attention. "What's up, little bug?"  
  
"I thought you'd be hungry." He held up a basket. "So I had the cook pack you a picnic. Jaguar told me I needed to take you out to the courtyard after you've gotten the books you needed from the Magic Room."  
  
"Great. Just give me a second. I need to find something to where." I don't mind the towel. Jaguar floated into her mind.  
  
She smiled and answered playfully. Out of my mind, Jaguar.  
  
"Hey, Eric? Can I get your opinion?" Danica held up two shirts as Eric came into the closet. "The pink butterfly shirt, or the silver one? With these leather pants?"  
  
"Uh..." Eric looked very confused. "The silver shirt?"  
  
"Great!" Danica threw it on over her towel and then let the white terry drop to the ground. She picked it up and led the way from the closet and draped the towel over a chair as they left the Amethyst Room. "So what's up with you, Eric? You having a good day?"  
  
"Yeah. I guess. Are you okay? You got quite a beating yesterday."  
  
"Not so bad." Danica answered, turning a corner. "I'm a witch, remember? I can heal fast. So tell me a little about Audra. I'm curious."  
  
"Well..." Eric started. Must you ask him, Dani?  
  
"Hang on." Dani interrupted Eric. "I have a kitten loose in my mind." I'm not a kitten.  
  
"Shut up, Jaguar. And get out of my mind." She stopped for a moment before she turned back to Eric. "Okay. He's gone."  
  
"That was strange."  
  
"Not so. Just Jaguar being a nose, curious cat. I guess no one ever told him curiosity killed the cat."  
  
"Oh. Well, Audra was great. She was a hunter from Bruja. She was actually hired by Jaguar to kill Jeshickah. But that went horribly wrong, so she ran for it. But before she did, Jaguar made her promise to take me. We lived like that for a couple of months while Jaguar hired a Triste to get rid of Jeshickah. Then Audra came back here to kill Daryl, her old master who had made her life a living hell. She stayed here for a few years, still part of Bruja, but not an incredibly active member. She got to be a good friend and one day, she just couldn't take the fact the Jaguar no longer had the time to care for her. And that what she really wanted was her old life back, before Daryl took it away from her. So she left and started dating this guy she dated back in high school named Greg and last I heard, they were married. I guess that's all I really know about her. I mean, we weren't that close, but that was expected, considering I was fourteen and she was twenty." Eric shrugged.  
  
"Did Jaguar love her?"  
  
"Yeah. I think he did to some extent, but not as much as he loves you. There's something different about the way he feels about you." Danica nodded as she gathered the books she wanted.  
  
"Well, we had better not keep my kitten waiting." Dani pointed at the door. "Lead the way, good sir." 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine  
  
"Took you long enough." Jaguar said with mock annoyance. "You can go, Eric." Eric nodded and left the courtyard, leaving the picnic basket by the door. "Come here, Dani. I want you to meet Shayla."  
  
"Shayla?"  
  
"Yes. She's the most beautiful creature living in these walls, after you, of course."  
  
"I hope you aren't implying that I'm a wild beast." Danica answered, dropping to her knees next to Shayla, who lay sprawled in the moss. "Hello, Shayla." Dani reached over and rubbed the jaguar's belly. "She is beautiful." Shayla yawns and ambled to her feet before jumping on Jaguar.  
  
Danica bit back laughter as she watched her lover play. After a while, Shayla disentangled herself from Jaguar and slinked off into the shadows.  
  
Danica sat down with her books and opened the first one to where she had left off yesterday.  
  
"What are you working on, anyway?" Jaguar finally asked after watching her for nearly an hour as she muttered to herself.  
  
"Huh?" She glanced up from her book for the first time since opening it.  
  
"What are you working on?" He repeated.  
  
"Spells." She answered, looking over the page again. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Utayu fai." She said. Jaguar watched her for any sign of change. "Fuck!" She cursed in frustration.  
  
"What's wrong, honey?"  
  
"It's not working. What else would be wrong? I've read all the text on this spell. It should have been the first spell I learned as a child, but my mum never bothered to even tell me I was a witch. How am I supposed to do this? Most people have someone teaching them." Danica slammed her book shut.  
  
"Maybe you need a break."  
  
"No, I need to learn the spell. I can't even float a bloody pencil! And to top it off, my little cousin could float anything she wanted and she was only six. And she never had to say the spell out loud." Danica threw the pencil she had been trying to flow across the yard. "Utayu fai!" She screamed.  
  
Suddenly, the pencil came up a few inches from the ground.  
  
"Oh!" Dani exclaimed, causing herself to lose concentration and drop the pencil. "I did it!" she stared, wide-eyed. "Did you see that?"  
  
"Yes." Jaguar smiled at his lover. "I'm so proud of you." He gave her a kiss. "Now may I ask why you're working on spells?"  
  
"I'm a witch, duh." Dani smiled. "And I'm gonna kill Kestral."  
  
"Really?" Jaguar raised his brows.  
  
"Do you mind?" She asked, looking at him.  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Good. I'm gonna float a dagger, jam it hard into him and learn how to twist." Dani's face was twisted in fury. This was something she'd dreamt about for years. Revenge for her mother, Helen.  
  
"How long do you think that'll take you? Because I think I can arrange to have him around on a certain date, should you like."  
  
"I'm not sure. I'm shooting for a month." Jaguar reached over and kissed her.  
  
"Then I have faith in you. In one month, I'll have Kestral for a meeting." 


	10. chapter 10

Chapter Ten  
  
Danica trained, hard during the nights, and spent the days in Jaguar's arms. She became more and more comfortable in his world, falling deeper and deeper in love with him.  
  
Soon, he fed only from her, by her request. And she began to take his blood. In small amounts, none large enough to turn her.  
  
She learned to control her magic; now capable of all the things she had hoped. And of much more. She was able to perform the majority of her spells without the words if she wanted.  
  
Jazmyna, Amy, and Lena were all granted free blood at Danica request, although Jazmyna stayed on at Midnight. The others returned tot eh life they had before they were sold into slavery.  
  
Danica learned to control her shape-shifter blood with the help of Jaguar. The creature she chose to change to was the jaguar.  
  
"I've got some new slaves for you, Jaguar." Kestral said as he entered the room, with a group of three humans. Jaguar only smiled from his black leather couch, where he sprawled with Danica at his side.  
  
"That's good. Tell me about them." Jaguar said as Danica picked a dagger from the table in front of the couch. She twirled it about for a while before using it to pierce Jaguar's finger.  
  
"They're strong. All of them. The male is missing an eye, but that was from before I acquired him. The redhead is a witch." Kestral kept his eyes on Danica as she licked the blood from Jaguar's fingers.  
  
"I want to see." She announced, sliding from the couch. She was dressed in a black leather corset with blue lace trim and black leather pants. On her feet were combat boots. Her black hair hung loosely in tight curls.  
  
"Go ahead, Danica." Jaguar smiled, knowing what she had planned.  
  
Dani circled around the group of humans. The blonde was strong. Very much so. Probably a hunter. And the red-head was indeed a witch, although not born one.  
  
"I like them. We'll take them, won't we?"  
  
"Whatever my wild cat wants." Jaguar replied. "How much?" He looked at Kestral.  
  
"Twenty for the male because he's damaged, fifty for the witch and the blonde."  
  
"Done." Jaguar signed a check and handed it to Kestral.  
  
"You should have been mine." Kestral snarled at Danica as she walked past him.  
  
"I belong to no one. I'm freeblood." Danica snapped.  
  
"Dirty whore."  
  
"I'm not. I'm Kennan. I'm the blood and essence of Kennan." Danica said, holding her head up high as the dagger flew straight into Kestral's chest. He gasped. As it twisted, she said, "And no one can take that from me." 


	11. Chapter 11

Epilogue  
  
"Just, uh, step over the trash." Danica said to the three new humans as she made her way back to the couch. She plopped herself down next to Jaguar. He wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"I'm proud of you, Dani." Jaguar kissed her.  
  
"That's nice. Now are you gonna address our new friends?"  
  
"Oh yeah. I'm Jaguar." He told the three. "I'm the master of Midnight. But Danica, here is my Mistress." He joked. Dani slapped him playfully on the chest. "Um, rules here are do your chores, stay out of the way of my kind, and if they talk to you, kneel and address them as 'milord' or 'milady'. That pretty much insures that they won't hit you. I don't go for all of that. Just call me Jaguar. And I don't mind conversations. Hold your tongue around others of my kind. Eric-" He signaled to Eric. "Will find you work. Stay healthy is it."  
  
"Oh, and you would probably be best off if you stay away from the Amethyst Room. That's my room. Unless of course you want to walk in on Jaguar and me. Oh, and the courtyard is off limits too, unless you want to be mauled."  
  
"Names?" Jaguar asked, looking into the eyes of each person.  
  
"Xander."  
  
"Willow."  
  
"Buffy." 


	12. Chapter 12 i'm not sure if this is a cha...

Author's note:  
  
Hey everyone! I hope you liked this fic! I've worked really hard on it to get I finished. I think it's the first fic I've finished in a really, really long time. There will be a sequel to it. How can't there be? Especially at how I left it.  
  
I'm working on the sequel. It'll be posted in TV: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When I've got it up, I'll post a link to it from here. It's not titled yet, but I'm writing it. I promise.  
  
If you're wondering what the hell I'm doing...well, I've always been a fan of Buffy and I've been a fan of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, however, I've never been able to write a good fic in either. Because well, my ideas of a vampire is very close to Amelia's, but I liked the idea of a slayer. I liked the idea Joss Whedon had. But I never could write it. So I thought, I know a lot of people who are familiar with Buffy, but not many who are familiar with Amelia.  
  
So why not write a fic that all my friends can enjoy? Mix Buffy into Amelia and get my friends who are fans of Amelia to like Buffy, and to get my Buffy friends to like Amelia. Then I'd have the perfect vampire conversation with them!  
  
That and because I was bored and I started writing Midnight Love with the idea of having someone that Jaguar could love and be loved in return and then I started a Buffy fic with no clue where to go because I lacked a big demon or situation for her so I thought she'd visit Amelia's world and Midnight would be her problem.  
  
Well...I'd like to say sorry that the chapters got short at the end. I wanted to past time fast and I stink at that. Lol...  
  
Well, I'm off to write the Buffy fic. I'll probably call it Midnight Realizations. I think that's a good name for it. Yeah...that's what I'll call it. Midnight Realizations. Does that sound good?  
  
I hope so. So everyone keep an eye out for my posted link to Midnight Realizations. Or just keep an eye out for it, period! Lol...I'm off.  
  
~Julie 


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